Channel Your Inner Lumberjack at The Wood Shed Axe Throwing

The Wood Shed Axe Throwing

I remember growing up in a small time where the only entertainment came from the local movie theatre where I worked or cruising up and down Main street. There wasn’t anywhere to go or anything to do and I longed to live in a city full of new experiences. Fast forward a few years, I found myself in a small city with the same feeling of having nothing to do.

I can’t say that now, though. Perhaps because I’ve grown, matured, and found hobbies to fill my time, or perhaps because there are so many new businesses popping up to give people a place to go have fun. Enter The Wood Shed, a new axe throwing facility in Sylvan Lake, which was opened specifically because there was a lack of entertainment in the town outside of summertime lake fun.

The Wood Shed allows for the perfect setting to blow off some steam with your friends on a Friday night, try something new on your next date night, host a birthday party, stag/stagette or corporate team building event.

You’ll want to leave your egos at the door, though.

There’s more to axe throwing than just, well, throwing the axe. There’s a certain technique to get that blade to stick into the wooden target. The way you hold the axe, the distance from the target, the angle of your wrist, keeping your elbow tight to your body, it all makes a difference. I went in thinking, no big deal, we’re strong, fit chicks and this will be a breeze. Jessica, on the other hand, was convinced she wouldn’t even stick the axe.

Turns out, Jess was a natural, sticking the axe on her first throw. Me on the other hand, I struggled. There’s a reason I don’t play sports because I have a hard time remembering to do all the little details needed to get the right throw. It was a humbling experience, to say the least.

Our instructor was awesome, patiently giving us all the tips and trick needed to make the perfect hit. We learned to throw one-handed, two-handed, overhead, underhand, and even some trick throws. They even filmed us in slow motion to analyse our movements to help us even further. Once we got the hang of things, we played some games, which really got me fired up. Jessica took the win on this one, she really killed it.

Did I mention that we worked up a bit of a sweat? We heated right up with the Jack and Jill saw at the beginning of the night, and kept the momentum as we continued swinging axes.

What’s great, aside from feeling like a total badass when you hit that bullseye, is that you’re free to bring in outside food and beverages (alcoholic beverages are not allowed for obvious reasons), giving you the freedom to create the perfect party for whatever occasion brings you in to channel your inner lumberjack.

Should you happen to love the sport of axe throwing enough, there’s a competitive axe throwing league to take it to the next level.

With The Wood Shed being Central Alberta’s only axe throwing facility, it should definitely be added to the list of places to check out the next time you think there’s nothing to do.

What to Wear

Closed-toe shoes are a must. Loose comfortable clothing is best, but hoodies are not recommended. A plaid shirt is optional, but let’s be real, can you call yourself a lumberjack without one?